It is estimated that urinary catheters are placed in millions of women each year in the United States alone, either due to some illness, infection or malfunction or as part of a medical procedure. Care must be taken to clean the catheter site to reduce the risk of nosocomial infection (i.e., an infection that arises due to a procedure for treating a disorder and unrelated to the disorder itself, also referred to as a “hospital infection”).
The most common nosocomial infections are related to or arise from indwelling urinary bladder catheters (i.e., catheters that remain in the urinary tract for a relatively long length of time). The risk of such catheter-related nosocomial infections can be reduced using strict aseptic techniques (i.e., using gloves, disinfectants, antibacterial soaps, etc.) when handling the catheter. Moreover, the risk of infection can further be reduced by only using a catheter intermittently rather than leaving the catheter in place for any length of time. Intermittent use of the catheter in conjunction with clean techniques helps to reduce the risk of catheter-related nosocomial infections and is, moreover, a far more attractive alternative for bladder evacuation to most patients who are candidates for the procedure.
Using a urinary bladder catheter under aseptic conditions in a hospital is routine. However, current medical practice emphasizes getting the patient ambulatory (and out of the hospital) as soon as possible. Consequently, catheterizations or catheter insertions are performed at home by nonprofessionals. These nonprofessionals must be taught clean techniques. However, no know comprehensive devices, apparatus or methods exist for teaching clean techniques or for facilitating such home catheter use for women.